Adele Nicoll is aiming to become the first British woman to compete in both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games within the same cycle, following a series of serious injuries that threatened her athletic career. The 29-year-old represented Team GB in bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo earlier this year. She is now competing in shot put for Wales at the Commonwealth Games, with the goal of qualifying for the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028.

Only ten British athletes have previously competed in both summer and winter Olympics, but Nicoll would be the first woman to do so within a two-year span. While some athletes transition between sports after retiring from one, Nicoll is pursuing both disciplines simultaneously, citing the physical similarities between the two. “The bobsleigh involves moving a heavy object really fast and the shot put involves moving a heavy object fast. The skills required to do so are very similar,” she said.

Nicoll has faced significant physical setbacks in recent years. In September, she suffered a right knee ligament rupture during a bobsleigh event after her spikes caught the track, causing her knee to bend backward. This followed a previous injury in 2021, when she ruptured her right anterior talo-fibular ligament, a key ankle connective tissue. These injuries have hampered her performance and training, requiring her to adapt her technique by recruiting additional muscles for stability and power in shot put.

Despite these challenges, Nicoll has made a remarkable recovery. Within six months of her knee injury, she progressed from being unable to walk to competing at World Cup events and the Olympic Games. She acknowledged the emotional difficulty of this journey, emphasizing that athletes often experience more lows than highs. “There’s a misconception with athletes, as if we have amazing days all the time. We’re not, we’re human and have way more low times than high times,” Nicoll remarked.

Hailing from mid-Wales, Nicoll described her path as a personal journey marked by perseverance. Her immediate focus remains on her performance at the Commonwealth Games, while she continues to prepare for future Olympic ambitions. “I look at all the things I’ve overcome, from being a small-town girl from mid-Wales, to now being on the Olympics stage. It’s been an incredible personal journey,” she said.